I snapped a picture of this tile that has been in my grandmother's kitchen as long as I can remember it. I lovelovelove it. So very much because not only is the pattern beautiful it signifies a whole lifetime of childhood memories, and conjures up the long summer days and the sandy feet that would stand on it. That's what good design does. It exists on its own but signifies something else.

Hey, Guys. So my life has been a little crazy recently. Weddings, travel, work. I was unplugged this whole weekend and it actually felt great. So I'm gonna take a little break from blogging for a week or two... Promise to come back just as soon as I'm done with the gizillion of things I have going in my life this week and next. Hope you are all well and I will see you here very soon. By the way, have you guys noticed that all of a sudden it is Fall? In September, the light changes...

As part of my MFA degree in creative literature I am taking a class on Young Adult fiction. It is so much fun! And interestingly enough, the words Twilight and Harry Potter have not even been mentioned. It's gotten me thinking a lot back to what my favorite books were as a child. Madeline L'Engle, the author of A Wrinkle In Time, was probably my favorite writer. I loved her stories, especially her strong female protagonists. And Both Were Young and Meet the Austins were two others by L'Engle that I loved. Lucky for me I get to teach A Wrinkle in Time to undergraduates in a few months. What were you favorite books to read as a child?

I'm sure a lot of you guys have seen this already, but in case you haven't these photos of random stuff grouped by colour are ahhmazing! I especially like the green one with that gorgeous palm frond. -Via Oh Happy Day!-

This house, in the western France, is slightly larger than your average Scandinavian Cabin, but made out of renewable materials and fully equipped with solar panels, geothermic heat and a wind turbine. Did I mention that the living spaces were inspired by traditional Japanese rooms (see the sliding doors/windows) and the Japanese idea of living in harmony with nature? And yes, there is grass on that roof. Ooh la la, indeed. To view more photos visit Cote Maison.

Feeling oddly unhinged today, the likely culprit being that my husband has flown East for two weeks to visit family and friends. It's been a while since I've been on my own and I kind of feel rusty at it... But what is not good for the heart is often good for the head, and I'm going to use this time to work and write and get a good start to this thing called graduate school. I miss you, love! Mwah.

Ok, so after a little more research I figure out that my dream of building a small home on a beautiful piece of land is not unique. I know, I know and I thought I was so special! In fact, it appears that whole nations of people have done this and have coined the term the "Scandinavian Cabin." Imagine my excite when I happened upon this awesome blog, written by Pippi, who is building her very own Scandinavian cabin. They aren't pre-fab buildings, but they are sleek and small! {via Remodelista}

hello! bonjour. hola. bom dia.

My name is Honora, and I am writer and grad student in San Francisco, CA. I love British mysteries, the word vermillion, sitting in the sun after a nice swim, and logging time in international airport terminals (and the countries that they take me to). Thanks for visiting!

Feel free to leave comments on posts, or to get in touch by e-mail: byitsowndesign@gmail.com.

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